Anatta: The Doctrine of No-Self, Part 2 - Manas and the Creation of Self

So, here goes...  Our first explanation is offered by Thich Nhat Hanh and the Yogacara school of Buddhism dating back to the fourth century.  Yogacara developed out of Indian Mahayana Buddhism.

Among other things, Yogacara discourse explains how our human experience is completely constructed by mind.

The Storehouse Consciousness

According to the traditional explanation, the theory of the consciousnesses attempted to explain all the phenomena of cyclic existence, including how rebirth occurs and precisely how karma functions on an individual basis. It addressed questions that had long vexed Buddhist philosophers, such as,

• 'If one carries out a good or evil act, why and how is it that the effects of that act do not appear immediately?' 

• 'Inasfar as they do not appear immediately, where is this karma waiting for its opportunity to play out?'

The answer given by later Yogācārins was the store consciousness (Sanskrit: ālayavijñāna), also known as the basal, or eighth consciousness. It simultaneously acts as a storage place for karmic latencies and as a fertile matrix of predispositions that bring karma to a state of fruition.

The likeness of this process to the cultivation of plants led to the creation of the metaphor of seeds (Sanskrit: bīja) to explain the way karma is stored in the eighth consciousness.

In the Yogācāra formulation, all experience without exception is said to result from the ripening of karma. The seemingly external world is merely a "by-product" (adhipati-phala) of karma.

The term vāsanā ("perfuming") is also used, and Yogācārins debated whether vāsāna and bija were essentially the same, the seeds were the effect of the perfuming, or whether the perfuming simply affected the seeds. The type, quantity, quality and strength of the seeds determine where and how a sentient being will be reborn: one's race, sex, social status, proclivities, bodily appearance and so forth. The conditioning of the mind resulting from karma is called saṃskāra.

The Treatise on Action (Karmasiddhiprakaraṇa), also by Vasubandhu, treats the subject of karma in detail from the Yogācāra perspective. [1]

Following the Yogacara philosophy, Thich Nhat Hanh, in his book, Understanding Our Mind, offers a concise and relatively easy to understand explanation on the mind's process of creating an image, or appearance, of a truly existing self.

According to Yogacara, there are Eight Consciousnesses that work together in order to create the human experience.  Store consciousness is the eighth consciousness and is considered the base or ground from which all other consciousnesses (including the appearances within those consciousnesses) manifest.  The seventh consciousness lying between the Store Consciousness and the Mind Consciousness is called Manas.  

In terms of perception, Manas belongs to the realm of representations (as opposed to the realm of "things in themselves").  The nature of Manas is therefore a world of obscuration.  Because it cannot perceive things directly, whatever is perceived by Manas is always obscured.

It arises from the ground of Store Consciousness, touches a part of it, produces an image of it, and takes this image as an object of its perception.  It then regards this perceived object as a self and falls in love with it.  Then it has to protect this part of store consciousness that it has objectified and attached to.

When Manas and Store Consciousness are in contact, their two energies bring about an object at the point where Manas and Store Consciousness meet and overlap.

We know that our store consciousness manifests as the world, both the instrumental world (the environment) and the sentient world (ourselves and other living beings).  Our body is a manifestation of our store consciousness.  Mind / body or "name and form" (namarupa), manifest through the store consciousness.

When manas is involved, however, the seeds of delusion in our store consciousness are able to manifest as mental formations, and suffering is the result.

One of the names given to store consciousness is "store for the attachment to a self."  This has to do with manas. 

Manas is the energy of ignorance, thirst, and craving. 

Here's the critical part:

It arises out of the store consciousness and then turns back to grasp a part of store consciousness (which it confusingly believes to be its self as an independently existing separate object). 

The part of store consciousness that manas tries to grasp is that of the subject that perceives (darshana-bhaga).  At this point, manas and store consciousness overlap and, as a result of this overlapping, an object of the grasping of manas is produced.

Manas grasps on to the image that it has created and clings to it as its object.  That portion of store consciousness that is grasped by manas loses its freedom.  Our mind is enslaved when it is picked up and embraced as a "self" by manas.

Manas holds on to the object of its attraction very tightly, as if to say, "You are mine."

It is kind of a love affair.  In fact, manas is described as "love of self."  Manas is "the lover," store consciousness is the beloved, the nature of their love is attachment -- and suffering is the result.

Based on Manas, the sixth consciousness, mind consciousness, is brought about.  The mind consciousness can function independently or in conjunction with the first five sense consciousnesses of eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and body.

Manas also serves as our "survival instinct."  If while sleeping we hear a sudden noise and wake up, that is the function of manas.  If someone throws something at us, the reflex of avoiding it comes from manas.  This function of manas is an instinctual defense mechanism that does not operate on wisdom.  But by always trying to defend the self, it can end up destroying the self.

The activity of Manas is thinking, cognizing, measuring, reasoning, grasping and clinging.

Day and night, manas discriminates things.  "I am this person.  You are that person.  This is mine.  That is yours.  This is me.  That is you."  Pride, anger, fear, and jealousy -- mental formations that are based in seeing ourselves as separate -- all arise from Manas.

Because Manas is filled with delusion -- craving, fear, and clinging - it does not have the capacity to touch the realm of things-in-themselves.  It can never touch the realm of suchness of store consciousness.  Its object is an image of a self that exists only in the realm of representation.

The attachment of Manas to a self is based on an image that it has created, just as we fall in love with our image of someone and not with the person herself.

This image of the self created by the activity of Manas is the self that we are all most familiar with.  According to this line of thinking, the self that we know does not have any true, separate existence anywhere within the realm of mind which includes the entire cosmos.  This self is merely an image of an image.  

Even so, because of ignorance we continually cling to this image as if it is truly existent.  We cling to it in some ways as if our very lives depended on it, and yet it is only by learning the truth that we can begin to free ourselves from this limited view of who we have come to believe that we are, and yet are not.

 

References:
[1] Wikipedia.
[2] Thich Nhat Hanh, Understanding Our Mind, Parallax Press 

Anatta: The Doctrine of No-Self, Part 1

Introduction to the Buddhist Doctrine of No-Self

Annatta, the Doctrine of No-Self, is central to all Buddhist teachings.  It is based on the fundamental notion that things do not exist the way that they appear.  Having developed a strong habit of firmly believing in the existence of an independent, separately existing self the idea of not having a self may at first seem preposterous.  It is easy to see how one can become so convinced in such existence.  In fact, it is one of the most common occurrences throughout today's modern world.

However, upon further inquiry into the subject it may happen that one begins to develop an understanding that the strong belief in the existence of a separately existing self has been supported only by one's lack of attention to the subject.  In other words, the appearance of a separately existing self can be so convincing that it is possible for one to take its existence for granted, completely overlooking the possibility that the self may not truly exist at all in the way that it appears.

From my own experience, I have discovered that there is a direct relationship between the busyness of the mind and the appearance of a separately existing self.  It seems that the busier the mind, the more the self appears to be solid.  The slower the mind, the more the appearance of the self begins to soften.  In my opinion, without a steady practice of meditation the Doctrine of No-Self remains purely an intellectual exercise which from the perspective of a busy mind is perceived as a complete waste of time.  However, with a steady meditation practice I have on more than one occasion been astonished at what I have observed with regard to the existence and non-existence of the self.

Through my own meditation practice I have seen that much of what I used to "take for granted" as truly existing has actually been merely the activity of my own mind projecting such things as "inherent existence" onto others, "inherent self-existence" onto a notion of "me", and  a wide array of self-referential meaning, descriptions and labels onto everything else in between.  This has been happening all along without even the slightest amount of direct, conscious awareness.  Essentially, I have been making it all up all along, while fully believing in the validity of everything that I have believed about what is appearing.

What is even worse is that it hasn't even been "me" that has been making it all up, but rather the confused, habitual mis-observations of many of those who have come before me.  On a very deep level, I have inherited most, if not all, of the fundamental beliefs about life, myself and how things operate.  

Like the Buddha, I have discovered that these unconsciously inherited misconceptions about human life and the functioning of human life have directly been the cause of all of my suffering.  It seems that no matter what I do, and no matter how well intentioned I am, as long as I continue to function through these misconceptions I am unable to be of true service to myself and everyone around me.  In this sense, the stakes of developing an active and deep understanding of this topic are extremely high.

The difference between how things appear and how things truly are is one of the Buddha's greatest observations and contributions.  He simply noticed and begin to question by pausing and looking more deeply into the true nature of how things exist, without the veils of past conditioning.

What follows is a collection of various ways to understand the notion of "No-Self" from a number of resources, including prominent Buddhist meditators and thinkers.  The overwhelming question is: "How it can possibly be that even though there is a strongly convincing appearance of an independent, separately existing self this appearance does not truly exist at all in the way that it appears?"  

The explanations and answers given to this question are astonishing and in my opinion, highly valuable.  However, without a steady practice of meditation, mindfulness, and the ability to cultivate direct insight by looking deeply into one's self and the world around them, the words on this page will always remain empty of any true benefit.  It is only by slowing the mind through practice, that a direct experience of "no-self" gradually becomes possible, and it is only through insight obtained through direct experience that one's mind may become illuminated to this most fascinating and important phenomena of the mind.

Why is it important to understand the Doctrine of No-Self, anyway?

An accurate understanding of how the self truly exists is important for a number of reasons.   Firstly, if we do not understand what we are dealing with how are we going to manage our affairs in a way that is in accordance with the way that things truly are?  If we do not understand our own true nature, how can we be of any benefit to anyone?  

As long as we misunderstand our own true nature our actions will always result in one form of destruction or another.  Is it not even reasonable to assume that any other outcome could be reached.  As long as we operate from a viewpoint of misunderstanding even the very best of our intentions will not have the solid ground to stand on in order to come to their best fruition.

Secondly, by viewing the self as a separately existing entity we form the basis of a worldview based on the duality between a perceived self and a perceived other.  The belief in world of duality is the cause for most, if not all, of the suffering within it.  If our dualistic perception is not an accurate view of the true nature of the world, then why would we want to continue to hang on to it and continue the cycle of suffering.  If the true nature of our world is non-dualistic, then realizing this and acting accordingly brings much hope and optimism for our future.

Misc Wisdom Quotations

On the Luminous Nature of Mind

Maitreya, from the Uttaratantra:

The luminous nature of mind
Is changeless, just like space.
It is not defiled by adventitious stains,
Such as desire, born from false imagination.

Dignaga (480-540):

The consciousness of ordinary beings
Is pure by nature
And expressed by the term "Buddha"
Just as a bodhisattva is called a victor.

Its own innate nature is enshrouded - 
Being under the sway of ignorance,
It appears otherwise, just like an illusion,
While the fruition is like quitting a dream.

Santaraksita's Madhyamakaloka states:

This statement, "All sentient beings possess the Tathagata Heart" teaches that all are suitable to attain the state of unsurpassable completely perfect buddhahood, since it is held that the term Tathagata expresses the dharmadhatu, characterized by personal and phenomenal identityless-ness, as being natural luminosity. 

From commentary of Candrakirti, on Jayananda's Madhyamakavataratika:

As for "having the characteristic of adventitious defilements," since suchness is naturally luminous, they are to be known as being adventitious, just as clouds in space...

As for "having the characteristic natural luminosity," it is not tainted by these defilements, just as space is not tainted by clouds.

On the Nature of Phenomena

Maitreya, from Distinguishing Phenomena and Pure Being

On the Basis of Phenomena:

Here the traits of phenomena are defined
As duality plus assumption and formulation,
Whose appearance is the mistaken conceptual process,
Since what appears is not, and is thus not real.
No referents have ever existed either
And being but concept, consist of conceptualization.

The realm of manifestation consists of appearances involving a duality of perceived and perceiver plus the assumption that anything appearing in such a way actually exists in that way; this is accompanied by formulation, which applies to terminology.

The dualistic appearance of perceived and perceiver is merely one's own mistaken conceptual process, since what appears to the mind, namely the object, is not existent - even while it appears.

Anything whose appearance involves duality, even though existing in an apparent sense, could not be real in actual fact.

Being but an imputation on the part of one's own concepts, the complex manifold referred to as phenomena consists solely of this conceptual process.

In summary, all phenomena, which are composed of dualistic appearance to which dualistic assumption is added, are nothing other than complete imputations having no existence with an actual constituent of their own, while nevertheless appearing.

On Phenomena Appearing as Things in Common:

Those who cling compulsively to the existence of outer objects claim, "Outer objects exist, because no one can deny that anything composed of atoms, such as mountains and any other objects observed in common, exists."  But that is not how it is

Given 'what appear to be outer' and 'perceivable in common', such as mountains and so on, as the postulated subject, these are not outer referents discrete from the inner consciousness and existing with a material essence, because they are the inner 'perceiving awareness' itself appearing as the image of this and that outer referent for those whose operative habitual tendencies correspond, just like forms in a dream.

Me

A Swift and Thorough Cut...

All differentiation is imagination. 

All imagination is mind only.

Differentiation appears as self-existence, where no self-existence exists.

Differentiation appears as self-arisen, where no self-arising arises. 

Anan Thubten, The Magic of Awareness

Everything turns out to be perfect in its imperfection when we allow things to be as they are.

Tilopa

Inquire into the mind using the mind itself.  All concepts will cease and you will see what the nature of mind is.

Kambala - From Nine Stanzas on Prajnaparamita - late 5th / early 6th century;


Those who see true reality,
Practice conventionalities just as they are,
But do not perceive them as real things.


The wise regard this entire universe
Like a picture beautified
By the colors of perception
But do not regard it as having a nature of its own.


Therefore, the nature of phenomena that have mind as their nature
Is the very lack of nature.
Whoever understands phenomena otherwise
Does not reach the ultimate.


There is no difference between these two --
Just as with conception, it is the nature of emptiness to be unreal.
But it is only through the very essence of the other-dependent nature
That emptiness is correctly seen.


Saying, "In the end, everything vanishes"
Is a rhetorical device for childish beings.
Something else shines forth
That cannot be expressed or analyzed.


There, dwelling in a place with nothing to hold on to,
That brightly shining space
Illuminates the emptiness
Of itself and of emptiness.


Just as there is variety in clothes,
Entities may be different.
But once they are consumed by the fire of emptiness,
Their ashes are not different at all.


Having realized the perfect nature,
Everything has the character of a single taste,
Partless, without beginning or end,
Formless, and ungraspable.


When seeing the very essence of mere cognition
As the abiding in the middle between the two extremes,
The consummation of the true reality
Of the entire world is displayed.


Once the light of wisdom arises
True reality is seen
Just as if lying in your hand.

Essential Wisdom Dictionary

A
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Abhidhamma - the "seed of awakening" 

Afflicted Mind (or Obscuration Consciousness)

Wikipedia:

The Seventh of the "Eight Consciousnesses" (see below) which through apprehension, gathers the hindrances, the poisons, and the karmic formations.  Also referred to as manas-ideation, moving-mind, monkey-mind.  (Skt: klista-manas, or klesha)

Kagyu Tradition:

The Afflicted Mind - being always associated with the set of four afflictions (ignorance, the views about a real personality, self-conceit, and attachment to the self) - is what mistakes the empty aspect of the alaya consciousness as being a self and its lucid aspect as what is "other."  This is the starting point of fundamental subject-object duality, which then ramifies into the appearances of the remaining six consciousnesses and their objects, all of them being consciousnesses filtered and afflicted through this basic self-concern. [3]

Alaya (Seed or Store-House) Consciousness

(Skt: ālāya(store), bija(seed), or mula(base)-vijñāna)

Wikipedia:

The Eighth of the "Eight Consciousnesses" (see below) which is the "store-house" or "base" for the other seven.

The store-house consciousness accumulates all potential energy for the mental (nama) and physical (rupa) manifestation of one's existence (nama-rupa). It is the storehouse-consciousness which induces transmigration or rebirth, causing the origination of a new existence.

The store-house consciousness receives impressions from all functions of the other consciousnesses, and retains them as potential energy, bija or "seeds", for their further manifestations and activities. Since it serves as the container for all experiential impressions it is also called the "seed consciousness".

Kagyu tradition:

The alaya consciousness is the sum of the virtuous, non-virtuous, and neutral tendencies that make up the continuum of a sentient being.  Thus, it is not like a container that is different from its contents, but more like the constant flow of the water that is called a river.  In other words, there is no other underlying, permanent substratum or entity apart from the momentary mental impulses that constitute the ever-changing flow.

Right after each moment of this dualistic interaction of subjects and objects, the imprints created by them merge back into - or are "stored" - in the alaya, just like waves on the surface of a river.  In this way, the alaya-consciousness is both a cause for samsaric appearances and a result, that is, their imprints.  This does not mean that the alaya actively creates anything, it is just the sum of the dynamic process of various causes and conditions interacting, otherwise known as dependent origination. [3]

Anatta Doctrine - (Pali; anatta, Skt: anatman) stipulates that a separate, inherently-existing self does not exist the way that it appears.

Wikipedia:

The anattā doctrine is not a type of materialism.  Buddhism does not necessarily deny the existence of mental phenomena (such as feelings, thoughts, and sensations) that are distinct from material phenomena. Thus, the conventional translation of anattā as "no-soul" can be misleading. If the word "soul" refers to a non-bodily component in a person that can continue in some way after death, then Buddhism does not deny the existence of a soul.  In fact, persons (Pāli: puggala; Sanskrit, pudgala) are said to be characterized by an ever-evolving consciousness (Pali: samvattanika viññana),  stream of consciousness (Pali: viññana sotam;Sanskrit: vijñana srotām), or mind-continuity (Sanskrit: citta-saṃtāna) which, upon the death or dissolution of the aggregates, becomes one of the contributing causes for the arising of a new group of skandhas. [1]

However, Buddhism denies the existence of a permanent or static entity that remains constant behind the changing bodily and non-bodily components of a living being. Reportedly, the Buddha reprimanded a disciple who thought that in the process of rebirth the same consciousness is reborn without change. Just as the body changes from moment to moment, so thoughts come and go; and according to the anattā doctrine, there is no permanent conscious substance that experiences these thoughts, as in Cartesianism: rather, conscious thoughts simply arise and perish with no "thinker" behind them. When the body dies, the incorporeal mental processes continue and are reborn in a new body. Because the mental processes are constantly changing, the new being is neither exactly the same as, nor completely different from, the being that died. [1]

On one interpretation, although Buddhism rejects the notion of a permanent self, it does not reject the notion of an empirical self (composed of constantly changing physical and mental phenomena) that can be conveniently referred to with words such as "I", "you", "being", "individual", etc. Early Buddhist scriptures describe an enlightened individual as someone whose changing, empirical self is highly developed. According to Buddhist teachings, this phenomenon should not, either in whole or in part, be reified, either in affirmation or denial. The Buddha rejected the latter metaphysical assertions as ontological theorizing that binds one to suffering. [1]

On another interpretation, Buddhism rejects any idea of the self. On this view it is incorrect even to speak about an "empirical self". This is because constantly changing physical and mental phenomena all have impermanence, and anything with such impermanence does not amount to the idea of a self. One is permitted to use terms such as "I", "you", and so on, not because they refer to an empirical self, but simply because they are "convenient designations". They are used in much the same way that the word "it" is used in the sentence "It is cold". Here there is nothing that the word "it" refers to. It is merely a grammatical device which allows one to assert "there is cold", while using a substantive term. [1]

Some Mahayana Buddhist sutras and tantras present Buddhist teachings on emptiness using positive language by positing the ultimate reality of the "true self" (atman). In these teachings the word is used to refer to each being's inborn potential to realize Buddhahood through Buddhist practices, and future status as a Buddha.This teaching, which is soteriological rather than theoretical, portrays this potential or aspect as undying. [1]

According to Gyamtso,  each individual sentient being's existence is imputed in dependence upon their own unique collection of aggregates (Skt: skandhas), but this is a dependently arisen mere appearance.   The problem arises when an individual believes that their aggregates somehow constitute a truly existent self.  Therefore, the Buddha taught the methods of how to examine the aggregates and see that there is no truly existent self to be found in the aggregates' multitude of constantly changing, dependently arisen parts. [2]

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B
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Buddha-nature, Buddha-dathu - (Skt: Tathāgata-garbha; Jap: Bussho, Tibetan: Sugatata-garbha) [tatathagata: "the one thus gone", garbha: root/embryo/essence, agata: come/arrived, gata: gone] 

According to Gyamtso, buddha nature is the true nature of mind - wisdom that is inherently pure and naturally endowed with the qualities of enlightenment.  Thus, to attain enlightenment is not to construct something anew or to acquire something that one does not already possess; rather it is to realize one's own basic nature and potential. [2]

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C
--- 
Chandrakirti (sixth to seventh century) - Indian master and exponent of the Middle Way Consequence school, most famously in his commentary called "Entering the Middle Way," which explains the meaning of "The Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way." [2]

Conceptual Fabrications - All the labels that thoughts fabricate and cling to as accurate descriptions of the things that thoughts believe to exist.  They are countless in number, but examples are: "good," "bad," "person," "object," "pleasure," "pain," "you," "me," "hot," and "cold."  When phenomena and mind are described as being beyond fabrication in their true nature, that means that their true nature transcends all thoughts we might have about what it might be; it is inexpressible and inconceivable. [2]


Consequence School (Skt: Prasangika Madhyamaka) - One of two branches of the "Empty-of-Self Middle Way" school.  Its followers refute true existence but do not assert that the true nature of reality is emptiness or anything else, because they realize that since genuine reality transcends all conceptual fabrications, to make an assertion about it would obscure the realization of its inconceivable essence. [2]
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D
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Dependently Arisen Mere Appearances

The essential quality of all possible appearances.  Whatever it is that appears, it can only do so in dependence upon its causes and conditions, and so it is a mere appearance, empty of any (completely separate) nature of its own.  The classic example is the moon that appears on the surface of a pool of water. [2]

Dharmadhatu

In its most general way, dharmadhatu refers to the ultimate nature of all phenomena - being equivalent to emptiness - which is usually translated as "expanse," "space," or "vastness."

More specifically (in Madhyamaka and other texts on buddha-nature), dharmadhatu may also refer to the nature of the mind of sentient beings in the sense of having buddha-nature as the most basic element of their entire being.

Dharmakaya -


Dharmadathu Wisdom






Sugatatagarbha - Buddha nature.


Svabhavikakaya -
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E
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The Eight Consciousnesses - the alaya (base) consciousness, the afflicted consciousness, the mental consciousness, and the five sense consciousnesses. 

The afflicted consciousness is the aspect of mind that is unaware of its true nature, and that believes that the self and phenomena truly exist as they appear. [2]

Due to various conditions - mainly the stirring of the afflicted mind (comparable to wind or a strong current) - the various appearances of the five sense consciousnesses and the (mainly conceptual) mental consciousness together with their seemingly external and conceptual objects emerge from the alaya-consciousness in every moment. [3]

Emptiness (according to the Yogacara school) - The doctrine of emptiness (Sanskrit: śūnyatā) is central to Yogācāra, as to any Mahāyāna school. 

Early Yogācāra texts, such as the Saṃdhinirmocana Sūtra and the Yogācārabhūmi Śāstra, often act as explanations of the Prajñāpāramitā sūtras. Keenan (2003) holds that emptiness, dependent arising (pratītyasamutpāda) and the doctrine of two truths are central in Yogācāra thought and meditation. 

As one Buddhologist puts it, "Although meaning 'absence of inherent existence' in Mādhyamaka, to the Yogācārins [emptiness] means 'absence of duality between perceiving subject [grāhaka, 'dzin-pa] and the perceived object [grāhya, bzhung-ba].'"

This is not the full story however, as each of the three natures (above), has its corresponding "absence of nature". i.e.:

• pari-kalpita => lakṣana-niḥsvabhāvatā, the "absence of inherent characteristic"
• para-tantra => utpatti-niḥsvabhāvatā, the "absence of inherent arising"
• pari-niṣpanna => paramārtha-niḥsvabhāvatā, the "absence of inherent ultimacy"

Each of these "absences" is a form of emptiness, i.e. the nature is "empty" of the particular qualified quality.
Yogācāra gave special significance to the Lesser Discourse on Emptiness of the Āgamas. A passage there (which the discourse itself emphasizes) is often quoted in later Yogācāra texts as a true definition of emptiness.[1]

Emptiness of Phenomena - The abiding reality of all phenomena, which is that they are empty of (a separately existing) inherent nature, and ultimately empty of any conceptual notion of what they might be, even the notion of emptiness itself. [2]


Equality - Contradictions, opposites, differences, and distinctions appear but do not truly exist.  In genuine reality, opposites, differences, and distinctions are undifferentiable; they all have the same basic nature. [2]
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F
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Five Traditional Topics of Study for Tibetan Buddhism:

Study of the Tibetan Buddhist canon is a focal point of the monastic curriculum. All four schools of Tibetan Buddhism generally follow a similar curriculum, using the same Indian root texts and commentaries. The further Tibetan commentaries they use differ by school, although since the 19th century appearance of the widely renowned scholars Jamgon Kongtrul, Ju Mipham and Khenpo Shenga, Kagyupas and Nyingmapas use many of the same Tibetan commentaries as well. Different schools, however, place emphasis and concentrate attention on different areas.
The exoteric study of Buddhism is generally organized into "Five Topics," listed as follows with the primary Indian source texts for each:

1. Abhidharma (Higher Knowledge, Tib. wylie: chos mngon)
   • Compendium of Higher Knowledge (Abhidharma Samuccaya) by Asanga
   • Treasury of Higher Knowledge (Abhidharma Kosha) by Vasubandhu
2. Prajna Paramita (Perfection of Wisdom, Tib. wylie: shes rab phar phyin)
   • Ornament of Clear Realization (Abhisamaya Alankara) by Maitreya as related to Asanga
   • The Way of the Bodhisattva (Bodhicharyavatara, Tib. wylie: sPyod-‘jug) by Shantideva
3. Madhyamaka (Middle Way, Tib. wylie: dbu-ma)
   • Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way (Mulamadhyamakakarika, Tib. wylie: rTsa dbu-ma) by Nagarjuna
   • Four Hundred Verses on the Yogic Deeds of Bodhisattvas (Catuhsataka) by Aryadeva
   • Introduction to the Middle Way (Madhyamakavatara,’’ Tib. wylie: ‘’dBu-ma-la ‘Jug-pa) by Chandrakirti
   • Ornament of the Middle Way (Madhyamakalamkara) by Shantarakshita
   • The Way of the Bodhisattva (Bodhicharyavatara, Tib. wylie: sPyod-‘jug) by Shantideva
4. Pramana (Logic, Means of Knowing, Tib. wylie: tshad-ma)
   • Treatise on Valid Cognition (Pramanavarttika) by Dharmakirti
   • Compendium on Valid Cognition (Pramanasamuccaya) by Dignaga
5. Vinaya (Monastic discipline, Tib. wylie: 'dul-ba)
   • The Root of the Vinaya (Vinaya Mula Sutra, Dülwa Do Tsawa, 'dul-ba mdo rtsa-ba) by Gunaprabha

Five Treatises of Maitreya - These texts are said to have been related to Asanga by the Buddha Maitreya, and comprise the heart of the Yogacara (or Cittamatra, "Mind-Only") school of philosophy in which all Tibetan Buddhist scholars are well-versed. They are as follows:

• Ornament for Clear Realization (Abhisamayalankara, Tib. mngon-par rtogs-pa'i rgyan)
• Ornament for the Mahayana Sutras (Mahayanasutralankara, Tib. theg-pa chen-po'i mdo-sde'i rgyan)
• Sublime Continuum of the Mahayana (Mahayanottaratantrashastra, Ratnagotravibhaga, Tib. theg-pa chen-po rgyud-bla-ma'i bstan)
• Distinguishing Phenomena and Pure Being (Dharmadharmatavibhanga, Tib. chos-dang chos-nyid rnam-par 'byed-pa)
• Distinguishing the Middle and the Extremes (Madhyantavibhanga, Tib. dbus-dang mtha' rnam-par 'byed-pa)

A commentary on the Ornament for Clear Realization called Clarifying the Meaning by the Indian scholar Haribhadra is often used, as is one by Vimuktisena. [1]

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Gampopo (1079-1153) - of Milarepa's twenty-five great disciples, Gampopo was "like the sun."  He is the author of "The Ornament of Precious Liberation," the famous comprehensive text on the stages of the Buddhist path.
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Illusion-Like Samadhi - Samadhi refers to a state in which one is concentrated and not distracted.

Paradoxically, it seems, the illusion-like samadhi is the meditation one practices in the times between formal meditation sessions, in the midst of all the distractions of thoughts and the objects that appear to the senses.

When one remembers that all of these distractions are illusory, this constitutes the practice of this samadhi, and all the distractions are in fact friends of and enhancements to the meditation rather than hindrances or obstacles.

Imagination (or Mental Construction) - The "World is Imagination."  The related terms vi-kalpa, kal-pana, pari-kalpa, and their cognates all have the basic sense of "constructing," "forming," "manufacturing," or "inventing."  Thus in terms of mind, they mean "creating in the mind," "forming in the imagination," and even "assuming to be real," "feigning," and "fiction."

Fundamentally, these terms refer to the ongoing constructive yet deluded activity of the mind that constantly brings forth all kinds of dualistic appearances and experiences, thus literally building its own world.  This meaning of deluded mental activity is particularly highlighted by the classical Yogacara terms abhu-tapari-kalpa ("false imagination," lit. "false imagination of what is unreal") and pari-kalpita ("the imaginary"), the latter being what is produced by false imagination.

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Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye (1813-1899) - A great Tibetan master, renowned for his scholarship and prolific work of compiling and composing texts. [2]
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Karmic Seeds -  The anatta-doctrine stipulates that there is no underlying self, while the idea of karma and rebirth seems to implicate an underlying essence that's being reborn. A solution to this problem was the proposition of the existence of karmic seeds. The karmic effects of the human deeds lay dorment, as seeds, until they germinate in this or a next life. Not an individual self, but these karmic seeds are the base for the generation of a following life. This concept of "seeds" was espoused by the Sautrantika in debate with the Sarvastivadins over the metaphysical status of phenomena(dharmas). It is a precursor to the alaya-vijnana. [1]


Kleshas - The disturbing emotions and mental states that cause ordinary sentient beings to suffer as a result of their not having realized the true nature of reality.  The five main kleshas, also called the "five poisons," are: attachment or desire; aversion or anger; stupidity or mental dullness; pride; and jealousy. [2]
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Luminous Mind

(Skt: prakrtiprabhasvaram cittam)

As used in the Dharmadhatustava:

The case of naturally luminous mind being defiled by and then freed from "adventitious" stains (agantukamala). 

Most fundamentally, "adventitious" indicates that these "stains" are completely unreal, mere fictions of the dualistically mistaken consciousness of ordinary beings.  This means that, in actual fact, there is nothing to be removed.

"Removing" or "purifying" indicates that it is sufficient to realize that nothing of what appears as so solid and real to us right now is actually there or happening.  This is similar to realizing, when mistaking a garden hose for a snake, that there isn't and never was any snake at the hose apart from us mistaking it for a snake and then panicking.

However, the process of realizing the same with regard to our own inherent buddha-nature includes an exhaustive check on all our most ingrained habits and patterns of first making up and then dealing with ourselves and our world.

The term luminosity as it is used here primarily refers to the purity of mind, free from obscuration caused by lack of understanding and hanging on to mistaken notions (ignorance).

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Mahayana - The "great vehicle" of Buddhism, it is the path of practicing the two types of bodhichitta; of wisdom and compassion together.

Practitioners begin Mahayana practice by engendering love, compassion, and relative bodhichitta, and then train in the Six Transcendent Practices (Skt: paramitas): generosity, ethics, patience, joyous diligence, concentration and ultimate bodhichitta - the wisdom that realizes the true nature of reality - with the goal of attaining the enlightenment of the buddhas in order to lead all sentient beings to that same state.

Mind-Only School (Skt: Chittamatra) - A Mahayana philosophical school.  Its view is that outer objects do not truly exist; instead, they are the confused projections of mind's habitual tendencies, like appearances in dreams.  Since outer objects of perception do not truly exist, neither do their perceiving subjects, and so genuine reality is empty of the duality of perceived and perceiver.  Genuine reality is non-dual consciousness, mere lucid awareness.
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Nagarjuna - Indian master, born four hundred years after the Buddha's passing (544 bc).  He is the author of "The Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way," and other commentaries on the Buddha's teachings in all three turnings of the wheel of Dharma.
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Padmasambhava - Also known as Guru Rinpoche, one of the original Dzogchen masters, a founder of the Nyingma lineage, and a key figure in the early propogation of Dharma in Tibet in the eight century.
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Shantarakshita (eigth century) - Great Indian proponent of the Middle Way Autonomy school and author of "Ornament of the Middle Way."

Shantiveda (seventh to eigth century) - Great Indian master and author of "Entering the Bodhisattvas' Way," a famous compendium of Mahayana practice and the view of the Middle Way Consequence school.
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Tathagatagarbha

According to Brunnholzl:

Given that the Sanskrit compound tathagatagarbha and its parts are so rich in meaning, there is clearly no English word that can appropriately translate it.  Technically the compound itself can be understood as meaning, "containing a Thathagata (as core)" or "the core of a Thathagata." The first is the most natural reading and is also supported by numerous passages in the scriptures.

Tathagata can be understood as either (a) a "Thus-Gone / Thus-Come One" or (b) "One-Gone / Come-To Thusness," with the former emphasizing the aspect of the path and the latter the result.

Gharba literally and originally means embryo, germ, womb, the interior of middle of anything, any interior chamber or sanctuary of a temple, calyx (as a lotus), having in the interior, containing or being filled with.  At some point the term also assumed the meaning of core, heart and pith.

While many interpretations are possible, overall, the term as it is used prevalently in scripture, points to "buddha nature" as being "our true heart."

Interestingly, the Tibetan translation snying po clearly stands for the nucleus or most essential part of something, while the Chinese translation tsang means womb or enclosure, indicating something that includes or pervades, which later even culminated in the notion that buddha-nature pervades everything animate as well as inanimate.  

Three Kayas - The three dimensions of enlightenment; in the Mahamudra and Dzogchen teachings, the three dimensions of the true nature of mind.

Dharma-Kaya; mind's emptiness of essence,

Sambhoga-Kaya; mind's natural clarity and luminosity, and

Nirmana-Kaya; mind's ability to appear as and cognize an unimpeded variety of images. [2] 

Three Natures of Mind - The imaginary nature (pari-kalpita-svabhava), the other-dependent nature (Skt. para-tantra-svabhava), and the perfect nature (Skt. pari-nispanna-svabhava).

The Other-Dependent Nature is the mistaken imagination that appears as the unreal entities of subject and object, because these are appearances under the influence of something other, that is, the latent tendencies of ignorance.

It appears as the outer world with its various beings and objects; as one's own body, as the sense consciousnesses that perceives the objects, and the conceptual consciousness that thinks about them; as the clinging to a personal self and real phenomena; and as the mental events, such as feelings that accompany all these consciousnesses.

Thus, false imagination is what bifurcates mere experience into seemingly real perceivers that apprehend seemingly real objects.  This very split into subject and object - the imaginary nature - does not exist on the level of seeming reality, but the mind that creates this split does exist and function on this level.

The Imaginary Nature covers the entire range of what is superimposed by false imagination onto the various appearances of the Other-Dependent Nature, from the most basic sense of subject-object duality via a self and the really existent phenomena up through the most rigid beliefs about what we and the world are.

In other words, what appear as one's own body and mind form the bases for imputing a personal self.  What appear as other beings, outer objects, and the consciousnesses that relate to them provide the bases for imputing really existent phenomena.

In detail, the Imaginary Nature includes;

• the aspects that appear as conceptual objects (such as the mental image of a form), 

• the connections of names and referents (the notion that a name is the corresponding referent and the mistaking of a referent for the corresponding name), 

• all that is apprehended through mental superimposition (such as direction, time, outer, inner, big, small, good, bad, and so on), and

• all non-entities, such as space.

All of these exist only conventionally, as nominal objects for the dualistic consciousnesses of ordinary sentient beings.  They are not established as anything real. [3]

The Perfect Nature is emptiness in the sense that what appears as other-dependent false imagination is primordially never established as the Imaginary Nature.  As the ultimate object, this emptiness is the sphere of non-conceptual wisdom, and its nature is phenomenal identity-less. 

Since the dharmas of the noble ones are attained through realizing it, it is called "Dharmadhatu". [3]

Transcendent Wisdom Sutras (Skt: Prajna-Paramita Sutras) - constitute the second turning of the wheel of Dharma and teach that all phenomena's true nature is emptiness, beyond conceptual fabrication, and perfect purity.  By training in this, one develops transcendent wisdom, and when one perfects this wisdom, one attains the enlightenment of the buddhas. [2]


Treatise on Buddha Nature (Tib: Gyu Lama, Skt: Uttaratantrashastra) - composed by the bodhisattva Maitreya, this text is explains how and why the true nature of every sentient being's mind is the buddha nature, original wisdom, the pure essence of enlightenment.  It also describes the buddhas' enlightenment, enlightenment's qualities, and the buddha's enlightened activities.  The text is based on the Buddha's teachings in the third turning of the wheel of Dharma. [2]


Two Truths - The Buddha taught that if we analyze, we come to see that the way things appear to be are not the way they truly are.  So he taught the truth of relative reality, which is how things appear to be, and the truth of genuine reality, phenomena's true nature.  Ultimately, he taught that the two truths are inseparable, beyond the conceptual fabrications of "same" and "different". [2]

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Yogacara (Sanskrit; literally: "yoga practice"; "one whose practice is yoga") is an influential school of Buddhist philosophy and psychology emphasizing phenomenology and (some argue) ontology through the interior lens of meditative and yogic practices. It developed within Indian Mahāyāna Buddhism in about the 4th century CE. Yogācāra discourse is founded on the existential truth of the human condition: there is nothing that humans experience that is not mediated by mind.

The Yogācāra is, along with the Mādhyamaka, one of the two principal schools of Nepalese and Indian Mahāyāna Buddhism.

Masaaki (2005) states: "[a]ccording to the Saṃdhinirmocana Sūtra, the first Yogācāra text, the Buddha set the 'wheel of the doctrine' (Dharmacakra) in motion three times."^[4] Hence, the Saṃdhinirmocana Sūtra, as the doctrinal trailblazer of Yogācāra, inaugurated the paradigm of the three turnings of the wheel of Dharma, with its own tenets in the "third turning". The Yogācāra texts are generally considered part of the third turning along with the relevant sutra.^[5]

Moreover, Yogācāra discourse surveys and synthesizes all three turnings.

The origins of the scholarly Indian Yogācāra tradition were rooted in the syncretic scholasticism of Nālandā University, where the doctrine of consciousness-only (vijñapti-mātra or cittamātra) was first extensively propagated. Doctrines, tenets and derivatives of this school have influenced and become well-established in China, Korea, Tibet, Japan and Mongolia and throughout the world via the dissemination and dialogue wrought by the Buddhist diaspora.

The orientation of the Yogācāra school is largely consistent with the thinking of the Pāli Nikāyas. It frequently treats later developments in a way that realigns them with earlier versions of Buddhist doctrines. Dan Lusthaus concludes that one of the agendas of the Yogācāra school was to reorient the complexity of later refinements in Buddhist philosophy to accord with early Buddhist doctrine.

Yogācāra, which had its genesis in the Saṃdhinirmocana Sūtra, was largely formulated by the brahmin born half-brothers Vasubandhu and Asaṅga (who was said to be inspired by the quasi-historical Maitreya-nātha, or the divine Maitreya). This school held a prominent position in the Indian scholastic tradition for several centuries due to its lauded pedigree and propagation at Nālandā.

Yogācāra was transmitted to Tibet by Śāntarakṣita and later by Atiśa; it was thereafter integral to Tibetan Buddhism although the prevailing Geluk-dominated view held that it was less definitive than Mādhyamaka. Yogācāra terminology (but not view) is used by the Nyingmapa and its zenith, Dzogchen. Yogācāra also became central to East Asian Buddhism. The teachings of Yogācāra became the Chinese Wei Shi school of Buddhism.

Current debates among Tibetan schools between the shentong (empty of other) and rangtong (empty of self) views appear similar to earlier debates between Yogācāra and Mādhyamaka, but the issues and distinctions have evolved further. Though the later Tibetan views could be said to have evolved from the earlier Indian positions, the distinctions between the views became increasingly subtle, especially after Yogācāra incorporated the Mādhyamika view of the ultimate. Ju Mipham, the 19th century rime movement commenter, wrote in his commentary on Śāntarakṣita's synthesis, that the ultimate view in both schools is the same and each path also leads to the same ultimate state of abiding.

The Yogācārins defined three basic modes by which we perceive our world. These are referred to in Yogācāra as the three natures of perception. They are:

• Parikalpita (literally, "fully conceptualized"): "imaginary nature", wherein things are incorrectly apprehended based on conceptual construction, through attachment and erroneous discrimination.

• Paratantra (literally, "other dependent"): "dependent nature", by which the correct understanding of the dependently originated nature of things is understood.

• Pariniṣpanna (literally, "fully accomplished"): "absolute nature", through which one apprehends things as they are in themselves, uninfluenced by any conceptualization at all.

Also, regarding perception, the Yogācārins emphasized that our everyday understanding of the existence of external objects is problematic, since in order to perceive any object (and thus, for all practical purposes, for the object to "exist"), there must be a sensory organ as well as a correlative type of consciousness to allow the process of cognition to occur.

As the name of the school suggests, meditation practice is central to the Yogācāra tradition. Practice manuals prescribe the practice of mindfulness of body, feelings, thoughts and dharmas in oneself and others, out of which an understanding of the non-differentiation of self and other is said to arise. This process is referred to in the Yogācāra tradition as "turning about in the basis" (Sanskrit: āśraya-parāvṛtti), the basis being the storehouse consciousness. [1]

There are two important aspects of the Yogācāra schemata that are of special interest to modern-day practitioners. One is that virtually all schools of Mahāyāna Buddhism came to rely on these Yogācāra explanations as they created their own doctrinal systems, including the Zen schools. For example, the early Zen tradition in China was sometimes referred to simply as the "Laṅkāvatāra school" (Ch. 楞伽宗, Léngqié Zōng), due to their strong association with the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra.^[33]

This sūtra draws heavily upon Yogācāra theories of the eight consciousnesses, especially the ālayavijñāna. Accounts recording the history of this early period are preserved in Records of the Laṅkāvatāra Masters (Ch. 楞伽師資記, Léngqié Shīzī Jì).

That the scriptural tradition of Yogācāra is not yet well-known among the community of western practitioners is perhaps attributable to the fact that most of the initial transmission of Buddhism to the west has been directly concerned with meditation and basic doctrines. However, within Tibetan Buddhism more and more western students are becoming acquainted with this school.^{[citation needed]} Very little research in English has been carried out on the Chinese Yogācāra traditions.

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References:
[1] Wikipedia 
[2] Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso, Stars of Wisdom, Shambala, 2010 
[3] Karl Brunnholzl, In Praise of Dharmadhatu

New Poem: "Coming Home"

 

Coming Home

Coming home is losing home.

Losing home is finding the way.

Finding the way is forgetting to follow it.

Only sunshine walks in forgetfulness.

Songbirds nest in the open sky.

When sky breathes, birds sing.

When birds sing, endless rivers flow.

My home is where the wind meets the water,

Where the Earth and sky's sweet kiss are my two feet.

Message from the Universe

Know that you are peace, and peace is you.  By simply turning within, and allowing your thoughts to settle within the spaciousness of your mind, you will see me; I am here, in you, and as you, to comfort, to hold, to nurture, and to love. 

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Know that you are love, and love is you.  Your deepest nature is beyond conception.  Your beauty is greater than all of the celestial objects of all universes combined.  You are the force that moves the universe, and the stillness of its breath.  Your simple presence brings life -- is life itself.  Know that you are love, and love is you - inseparable, eternal, universal.

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Know that you are generosity, and generosity is you.  With generosity, you have the capacity to welcome whatever you meet, or whatever meets you.  You have the capacity to give the gift of patience, kindness and generosity to yourself, to others, and to whatever circumstances may arise.  

Welcoming all things equally with understanding, love and compassion there is no need to run away, or wish for anything to be other than it is.  Your welcoming will bring peace, inclusiveness, and the kind of harmony that will reveal the underlying truth of your nature as nothing other than wholeness and well-being, with great capacities for allowing your natural compassion and love to transform yourself, and the world. 

Welcoming and happiness are very much the same.  They are both children of non-violence; and have the capacity to open doors even when those doors may at first appear frightening, or locked.
 
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Know that to empty the self is to bring you closer to what is true.  There is much that you have gathered along the way, and there is much that can be let go.   When you see me, you will see yourself as you naturally are with all of your precious and unique individualism; and then you must let go again.

I am findable, yet in the finding I am immediately lost.  I am, as you are -- inconceivable, ungraspable, and inexpressible.  Letting go is how you find me, over and over again. This is the ultimate form of generosity; it is the ultimate bridge between self and other;  between the ultimate and the mundane.

You will never find me in books or thoughts; but in the simple living of daily life, we may meet again, again and again.

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I am you, and we are now.

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Applied Insight: Part 1 - An Introduction...

Applied Understanding is the activity of functioning from the perspective of a or more accurate understanding of who we are, how things exist, and how things work.

It seems that this would be something that would be very easy to do.  Aren't we doing this already?  Don't I already have a pretty good understanding of how things truly exist and function?

Ironically, it is the belief that we already understand something that may be standing directly in they way of progress because the biggest obstacle to understanding is understanding itself.  At first this appears somewhat counter-intuitive but looking more deeply at the situation, it makes very good sense.

For example, if one believes that they already have a pretty good understanding of who they are, how life works, and how things work then the chances of them taking the time to inquire more deeply are very slim.  If things are going pretty well, where's the incentive to dive any deeper?  There's no motivation.  A great deal of the time, however, life has its own way of rectifying this situation by eventually not cooperating with us when we are not cooperating with it.   And yet sometimes life won't cooperate with us even though we do everything we can think of to cooperate with it.  

And this is a very important point:  

More understanding may not be a miraculous cure for whatever ails you, but it can at the very least help you to relate and respond to whatever you encounter with greater skill, and consequently less suffering.

The difference between an unenlightened person and an enlightened person is not that one suffers and the other does not.  After enlightenment, an enlightened person still continues to suffer.  The difference between them is how each approaches their suffering, and how they respond. 

We can, for example, use knowledge and information to fool ourselves into believing that we are happy, when in fact we are not.  If one has to think about things to "convince" themselves that they are truly happy, then they most likely are not truly happy.  They may have convinced themselves that they are happy, but it is very likely this type of happiness is only the appearance of happiness thinly existing on the surface.

Here is the first insight that I have to offer:

Things are often not what they appear to be.

For example, while you may think that you are happy - on a deeper level you may not be truly happy at all.  In fact, you may have very little understanding of what it is like to be truly happy - even though you may think otherwise.

Even though you may think that you have everything in your world set up and organized like a well oiled "happiness producing machine," your situation may still not produce the happiness that you have longed for and worked so hard for.  Why is this?  The answer almost certainly has something to do with the level of your understanding of who you are, and how things exist.  

While your current life situation may be the reflection of everything that you have ever believed could or should bring you happiness, there is the possibility that you may have bought into a belief that things are one way, when in fact they are actually another way.

Here is my simple definition of delusion, from first hand experience:

Delusion is when you think things are one way, and then they turn out to be another way.

There are a number of sayings that describe the experience of having one of your delusions busted like "bursting your bubble", "having the rug pulled out from under your feet", etc...  All of these allude the shock of having your less than accurate way of perceiving something go "up in smoke."  We all have them.  It's a natural part of growing up and nothing to be ashamed of - just something to be aware of.

At first this may not seem like very good news at all, and maybe it's not.  But waking up to this realization is, on the other hand, very good news as it means that you have already begun to move towards a much deeper level of truth and happiness than you have ever known.  

This is the first conundrum we face on the path of moving towards functionality from correct understanding.  Up until now, ignorance of this point has been keeping us well insulated from making this important realization.  It has also been keeping us from beginning a serious quest of self-inquiry that could lead to a greater sense of happiness and freedom; the type of happiness and freedom that our hearts have always been longing for.   

There are three basic ways that we relate to and experience our world; thinking, body sensation (including emotions), and intuition.  How we engage our world through these three doors has a lot to do with the quality of our life, and the quality of the contribution that we are able to make to those around us, and to the world.

The thinking mind is very good with logic and formulas, and for the most part it can work pretty well.  However, when it comes to the more complex aspects of our experience such as physical sensation, emotions and intuition, it is often completely lost without the development of understanding, the cultivation of skills for working with these other aspects, and without the advantage of daily practice and reinforcement from a supportive community.

The version of happiness offered by the thinking mind may indeed bring a certain level of satisfaction on the surface, but it is not the deeper and more satisfying type of happiness that pervades all levels of one's being. 

Happiness fabricated by the mind is just that - it is a fabrication.  It is the mind's version of what happiness should be - but it is not true happiness.  It is not a deep happiness. When looking deeply into this type of happiness, there is always something missing that one can't quite put there finger on. 

With deep happiness, there is a clear sense from every fiber and cell of one's being that nothing is missing, in fact, there is a sense of total connection with all of life combined with a deep sense of solidity, completeness, and inner peace.

It seems to me, that if you are not functioning from a correct view or understanding of how things truly exist, eventually your discontent will either find you through difficult situations appearing in your life, or you will take measures to further insulate yourself from the feelings of discontentment through some type of distraction such as excessive busyness, or anesthesia in the form of alcohol, drugs, over-consumption, media or some other activity.

For some people, like myself, a crisis may be the only way to move you forward into a greater understanding of what is going on.  Without such a crisis, or wake-up call, it is possible to live and die without ever developing the ability to understand what it means to deeply live and dwell within a human body on this planet that we call earth.

I consider myself one of the truly fortunate and lucky ones to have encountered just such a crisis within my life.  Without it, I would not be the person I am today nor would I be writing this book.  

Before going any further, I'd like to make it very clear that one of the ways to correctly understand what's going on is not to take my word for it.  To understand life, we must live it.  We must discover it for ourselves.  We must inquire, remain open and curious and look at things for ourselves and from our own perspective.  There are certain notions, ideas or suggestions that I can pass on to you from my own investigative inquiry and experience, however there is nothing from the print on these pages that can in and of itself be considered the "truth".  This is a very important point to consider and to contemplate.

Deep truth is not something that can be held on to, collected or owned.  The fundamental nature of what I call "deep truth" is that it is alive.  It is experiential, and it lives within you. 

Deep truth cannot be sufficiently described.  It cannot be adequately communicated.  One can point towards it, however, to fully experience the truth one must make the journey on their own.

Deep truth is not a thing, an idea, or a notion.  It is an encounter.  We can experience this kind of truth through a direct encounter with life when we are present and available to it within the very present moment.

Deep truth is discovered by developing the ability to look deeply at ourselves and the world around us. 

The encounter of living truth through our direct experience, rather than from any other source outside of ourselves, is also the foundation for Deep Faith which is a kind of power, or energy source, that we can cultivate and enjoy on a daily basis.

I have found that it is helpful to think of experience in several different ways.  One way is to understand that we generally function through several different avenues which include; thinking, body sensation (including emotions), and intuition.  In Western society, the avenue of thinking is currently the most prevalent.  There are perhaps many explanations for this which are far beyond the topic of this book.  For our purposes, it is important to understand that we have multiple avenues of experience available to us.

In general, thinking is further removed from the direct experience of "things as they are" than body sensation or intuition.  Body sensation brings us into direct contact with what we consider to be the "physical aspects" of reality, and intuition when developed can take us into a direct experience of whatever it is that we consider to be the true, or ultimate reality.  In many cases, in order to function with correct understanding we must let go of the ideas and concepts generated and held on to by the thinking mind.  And yet in our modern Western culture it seems that it is precisely these concepts and ideas that we cling to for dear life.


There is a misconception that thinking can bring us to happiness.  In my experience, over-focusing on thinking at the expense of body sensation and intuition does not create happiness.  In fact, the approach of happiness through thinking is an obstacle that can create an appearance of happiness which effectively serves as a cover up for the unhappiness lurking below the surface.  For twenty-five years, my center of functionality was the thinking mind.  This mind is very good at presenting the appearance that all is well, or that I am happy even though in the back of my mind there was always a subtle trace of a feeling, or a deep longing perhaps, that things weren't as deeply and completely happy as my mind would have liked me to believe.

The happiness of the thinking mind is typically characterized by acquisition, accomplishment, success, and consumption.  When I was growing up it was called the American Dream.  Like so many others, I pursued this dream and was highly successful at it.  I graduated from honors at a major university, landed a high profile professional job right out of college, got married, settled down into an 8-5 routine, diligently worked in my father's business eventually obtaining part ownership, had two beautiful children and raised them under the best situation that I could possible imagine at the time.

When I finally reached the pinnacle of success which was for me to be 38 years of age; living in a large modern house with a beautiful swimming pool on three lots in a suburban neighborhood complete with golf course, swimming, tennis facilities; a game room with a 108" drop-down movie screen and dance floor complete with floor to ceiling mirrors; a good wife; two beautiful and wonderful pre-teenage girls; an unlimited expense account from work; money in the bank; and absolutely no debt whatsoever.  This was the American dream, and I was living it.  


What happened is that I had been so focused on getting there, that when I finally arrived I realized that I had never stopped to deeply ponder the question of true happiness.  I had always assumed that the attainment of this goal would bring me happiness.  On the contrary, what I discovered when I arrived was a deep sense of emptiness.  Arriving at this achievement was the first time that I had ever just stopped.  Sure, I had enjoyed the process of getting there but now that I had arrived, the burning question in my heart was, "Now what?"  And furthermore, "Why do I feel so empty, alone, and what are all of these feelings?"

Caught up in the pursuit and the "busyness" of all of these projects, I had been missing something very important but I couldn't quite put my finger on what it was.


I have since learned that much of the thrill or happiness that I had experienced was the rush of accomplishment, achievement, and success.  I had become addicted to human pride, and had been completely unaware of it the entire time.  The conditions in my life were certainly good.  They defined me, and nearly everyone in my life reflected this back to me.  The world praised me, and encouraged me.  I gave them everything that they wanted.  I followed every direction, chasing after everything that was presented as the picture of happiness.  But in the end, I discovered that I had lost my self.  Or rather I had lost the connection with my self.

I had become a prisoner of my own mind, and what was worse is that I didn't even know it.  I was completely unaware of it. 

Inside this prison, instead of pain and punishment I was the center attraction in a virtual, never-ending parade of pride, vanity and shameless over-consumption.  I was attracted towards  a false sense of happiness.  I took that bait; "hook, line and sinker" as they say.

On my quest towards happiness for myself and for my beloved ones, I had become the victim of my own creation in a perpetual arcade game of me attempting to live up to everyone else's expectations which were ultimately unachievable, self-sacrificing, and (unknown to me at the time) were mostly my very own invention.

In the end, I was not happy.  And as I was not happy myself, no matter how hard I tried (and I did try very hard) I could not bring true happiness to those around me, including the ones that I loved the most.  In fact, at one point I came to the startling realization that I might even be doing more harm than good.  Over the years, I had become highly skilled at manufacturing false happiness.  Unfortunately, this had become an obstacle to not only my true happiness, but the true happiness of those who were closest to me as well.  For someone who believed that they had spent the best years of their life in service to their family and loved ones, this was a bitter pill to swallow.  

It was all that I knew, and there was no clear path in front of me leading me towards the true happiness which I felt in my heart did exist and was possible.  With my eyes covered by this thick blindfold, I took the only steps that I could take.  I took the steps that opened before me.  They weren't pretty.  They weren't easy.  And for quite a while, it seemed as if the only thing that I had done was to create more suffering.  I didn't want to create more suffering.  I wanted to help others and create happiness.  But it seemed like no matter how hard I tried, I continued to only create more suffering.  Something had to give.


What I eventually began to learn is that affliction and adversity is not only the opposite of enlightenment and happiness as it first appears.  What I began to learn was so profound and amazing that it promised to change the very foundation of the way that I had perceived everything in the world up to that point.  What I learned was about to pull the rug out from under me.  In fact, this is happening within the very moment that I am writing this because this book is not merely an account of my historical story.  It is an account of the living unfoldment of it as it is occurring within this very moment.  

This is a living story.  It is the story of my life, and it is the story of your life.  This is the story of everyone's life that has ever lived.  It is our story.  It is my offering to you in the hope that what I have learned may help you to find peace and happiness during those moments when you find yourself alone and frustrated; when you feel there's no one to turn to, nowhere else left to run - and yet where you find yourself is too difficult to bear on your own.  You are not alone.